The Bar Council has recently published a booklet (called the Red Book : Know Your Rights) which spells out an individual's rights when interacting with police. The booklet covers the most common situations of interactions between the public and the police, for example, when the police stops, questions or arrests someone. Copies of the booklet were quickly snapped up but it is available on the Malaysian Bar Website.

I would strongly recommend everyone to read it and print out a copy for your own reference as well as to distribute it to your family, relatives, colleagues and friends.

Yesterday, our Federal Court (the apex court in Malaysia) ruled that local governments have the power to establish by-laws to prosecute citizens who behave indecently in public. This judgment has big repercussions.

In a nutshell, your friendly Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, Miri or whichever city / town you're at can enact by-laws prohibiting acts of indency....in the case of Ooi Kean Thong and Siow Ai Wei, hugging and kissing in public. It's up to the local government really. Our DBKL deem it fit to enact a by-law prohibiting indecent acts at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park. Ipoh City Council might not deem it necessary.

Now, the interesting question is this.... what constitutes indecent act? Kissing, smooching, a peck on the cheek / forehead, hugging (just like what Rafidah did to Dr. M), holding someone's waist (just like what Dr. M did with Shah Rukh Khan), showing one's belly button, wearing low cut pants and showing the top of a g-string, wearing light clothing which purposely allow the inner garment to be "seen-through", etc?

Just imagine, and I don't suppose all local governments will enact laws in uniformity, it is prohibited to hug and kiss (which is why the couple is prosecuted) at the KLCC Park but okay to do so in say....Reservoir Park, Kuching (because the Kuching South City Council does not have this by-law).

All of us better get copies of the by-laws and read them to familiarise what we can and cannot do less we be prosecuted!

I would be most interested to see how the prosecution goes in Court when the prosecution officer will have to get witnesses to describe how the indecent act took place.

Can you just imagine how the trial will be? What a waste of public funds and time. The local governments should just concentrate on getting trash off their municipality, improve facilities and collection of revenue, improving their response to citizen's complaints and other areas rather than policing on morality which is so subjective.

Anyway....just my ramblings for today to destress....

Next time, before you think of hugging or kissing someone in public, read your local government by-law

That's 32 universities in Malaysia averaging at least 2 universities per state. And next, according to today's report in the New Straits Times:-

University to open next year

(Sulaiman Jaffar)

KOTA BARU, KELANTAN: The soon-to-be established Universiti Darul Naim is expected to admit its first group of undergraduates in July next year.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said the site for the university, however, had not been finalised.

"We are still open (on the location), but the most important thing is Kelantan will have a university.

"The students might be housed at temporary premises since the physical development of the university will not be ready by next year," he said after chairing the state action council yesterday.

The setting up of the university was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during the tabling of the Ninth Malaysia Plan last Friday.

The Kelantan Government has offered sites in Gua Musang, Bachok and Jeli for the university.

Mustapa said details like the university’s concept had to be ironed out.

On the 9MP, which saw the allocation for Kelantan increased from RM3.7 billion to RM6.7 billion, Mustapa said the council would ensure that all projects were completed.

"Kelantan is the least developed State and has a high number of hardcore poor. We must ensure the projects reach and benefit the people."

Are we looking at numbers or quality? Do we have sufficient numbers of academics to teach and conduct research in these universities? Apart from the proposed university in Kelantan, another university is expected to be opened in Terengganu under the 9MP.

During my trips to Kota Bahru and Kuala Terengganu, I had the opportunity to converse with the local taxi drivers. Most of them lament that the youths are no longer interested to stay back in the 2 states as they are seeking greener pastures in other states especially the Klang Valley. It appears that the 2 states are no longer "exciting" to the youths.

As it is, the number of unemployed graduates each year increases and most feedback received from those who were on recruitment driver was centered along : "Lack of initiative", "Lack of confidence", "Irrelevant qualification vis a vis job applied for", "Inability to communicate effectively". Would adding 2 more universities address the problem at hand?

Anyway, I hope the university will be build on high land away from the flood prone areas in Kelantan. Otherwise, it may take longer than 3 or 4 years to complete a degree due to interruptions caused by flooding!